Sixers not ready to give up on Ben yet

PHILADELPHIA — Ben Simmons clanked one free throw off the back of the rim, so he took a breather, fist-bumped Joel Embiid, paced, walked back to the line and bonked another shot.

Hey, the 76ers still led the Hawks by 23 points at that point, Game 5 seemed in the bag, so what’s two missed free throws?

Just 1 second in game time later, Simmons was back at the line — Atlanta using a Hack-A-Ben strategy to its advantage in the playoffs — and Simmons swished one to the roar of the crowd.

Back for the second shot, a 76ers fan wearing a No. 25 Simmons T-shirt simulated proper form from the stands, only to have Simmons knock one off the front of the rim.

Yes, a three-time All-Star in the first year of a $177 million max deal received a pity ovation in Philly.

Simmons missed a stunning 10 free throws in Game 5, and that seemingly insurmountable lead turned into an epic defeat that helped usher the top-seeded Sixers out of the postseason.

Fans were devastated, the media pounced and Simmons shouldered the blame for the collapse.

No matter the reaction, the No. 1 pick is the No. 1 question headed into the summer: Can the Sixers fix Ben Simmons?

Better yet, is Simmons willing to fix his flaws?

Sixers President Daryl Morey tiptoed around most Simmons questions on Tuesday, though he said he still believed the guard could be part of a championship nucleus with Embiid and Tobias Harris. The door, though, is always open for a deal.

“Not addressing Ben Simmons, but any move that will help our team win the championship or improve our odds, we will look at or do if it makes sense,” Morey said.

Simmons shot 25 for 73 (34%) from the line in the playoffs and missed 27 alone against the Hawks. He is a 5 for 34 career 3-point shooter over four NBA seasons and shot at least 60% from the foul line each of the last three regular seasons.

Herb Magee, known as the Shot Doctor over a Hall of Fame career as a Philadelphia college basketball coach, attended Sixers practices when Brett Brown coached the team and the two discussed ways they could fix Simmons’ form.

“He has that look on his face where he’s afraid to go to the foul line,” Magee said. “He almost has no chance of making it. The ones that do go in are probably more luck than anything else. It’s a shame because he’s extremely talented.”

Magee said improvement can come through proper teaching, practice, repetition and commitment.

“I don’t see any reason why he shouldn’t be a bare minimum of 70% from the line,” Magee said. “But his technique is wrong.”

Simmons’ woes drew comparisons to fellow Philly No. 1 draft pick Markelle Fultz, who lasted 33 games over two seasons before he was traded to Orlando, in part because of a hitch in his shot.

Simmons pinned his playoff failures on a mental block more than mechanics. Once the misses started coming in waves, especially under the playoff spotlight and with scant time to hit the gym and practice, Simmons could not reverse the trend.